Monster Tamer Tsuna!
by faname
Summary: Namimori Village is attacked by a vampire. Powerless and totally under his mercy, they agree to send humans for his monthly meal. Their greatest mistake, however, was sending Dame-Tsuna as a sacrifice. AU. /Eventual 1827/
1. Chapter 1

Yey! Our exams our over and this is my summer's first Sunday (I would have posted this chapter yesterday but things happened)! I'm so happy! And to celebrate it, I decided to write an idea that has been running around my mind, helped by a purple-colored bunny giving off lots of ideas that I barely know how to write (or remember since it practically gave me a brain overload. School just ended, damn it. Our tests just ended, don't expect me to remember much).

**Background: **This story, as the title suggests, is inspired by Monster Tamer Tsuna! Replays of KHR is being shown in TV and brining in another round of KHR-addiction. Then I suddenly thought of the videos saved here in my laptop and then came across my downloaded videos of MTT. I watched it and fell in love with it again. I can't bring out this idea from my head since then.

This story is different from canon MTT! First, it's got my all-time fave pair, 1827 (-insert fangirl scream-). Second, I tweaked the circumstances a bit (no, a lot). Third, there would be more characters (and maybe Ryohei would actually _do _something here XD). Fourth, it won't be total crack (though I would love to write something as funny as the canon. It's just that humor isn't my strongest point T_T).

REVIEW, okay!

**Summary: **Namimori Village is attacked by a vampire. Powerless and totally under his mercy, they agree to send humans for his monthly meal. Their greatest mistake, however, was sending Dame-Tsuna as a sacrifice. AU. /Eventual 1827/

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><p><strong>Monster Tamer Tsuna!<strong>

**CHAPTER ONE: Of Monsters and Humans**

"Monsters are vile creatures. Outside, they come in various forms. They are of unusual size, shape or appearance – sometimes human-like, at times they are like creatures from a fairy tale. But most of the time, they have hideous and unsightly appearances, the very epitome of what humans fear and hate. They come in variety, but there is one thing common among all of them, and that is they have no heart. They are incapable of feeling what we humans are capable of. They only know how to destroy and cause fear and panic and pain to those below them. And for monsters, humans are below them. This is the main reason why monsters attack humans, sometimes for reason, sometimes for mere fun."

The teacher paused, looking at the forty-some students in front of him and was pleased to know that they were all hanging onto his every word. He smiled inwardly at their typical childish reactions. Some, mostly girls, were sitting there with scared expressions while the "big boys" were trying their hardest to not appear scared, but the teacher could see the way they trembled slightly as they looked at him with wide eyes. The teacher gave his six year old students a warm and reassuring smile.

"But don't worry, this is the reason why you are having class with me. You are here to learn more about these monsters. Where they come from, what to do when you're in their presence, what they are capable of, and more. Are you ready?" the teacher asked as excitedly as he could to lift up the tense atmosphere. He realized once again how intelligent six year olds can be. They do know when to be serious. He smile got wider when he received a loud "yes" from his students and he resumed his lecture.

The teacher didn't notice the small boy with gravity-defying brown hair and a very, very, pale face who was sitting way back the room pass out due to fear. The other students did though. They laughed silently.

The little boy, Tsuna, didn't realize he just established his reputation of being the daycare's most wimpy kid at that very moment.

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><p>"Waaah! Save me!" Tsuna shouted as he ran through the streets. People's head turned as he passed by then continued to stare as a group of boys passed them too. This group was chasing Tsuna because of a very stupid reason.<p>

"Come back here Loser! You ruined my favorite shirt!" one of them said and true enough, there was a large stain on his white shirt. The stain covered a big part of his front. A very stupid reason, right? Well, they don't think so.

"It'll come off when you wash it! So why don't you go home and wash it?" Tsuna shouted back almost hysterically as he narrowly avoided a passing cart. He stumbled a bit but fortunately, he managed to catch himself before he fell. Though his pursuers were closer than ever now.

"Why you-! Come back here!" was his answer but Tsuna didn't slow down. Instead, he picked up his pace and turned another corner. They were nearing the far outskirts of their village. There weren't any houses or buildings here now, just half-dead trees and sickly yellow grass around. When Tsuna realized this, he finally slowed down and turned around only to see no one there. He looked around and squinted, looking for a sign of anybody around. There, in the distance, he could see the group who were chasing him earlier walking back to the village laughing.

Tsuna now fully realized the situation he was currently in. He was alone. In the middle of... where exactly? He slowly turned his head to look at his back. There, behind him was an abandoned factory. He had heard stories of this place since he was a kid, it was one of the most famous bedtime stories* for children. From what he remembers, a mad scientist lived here doing some experiments. The villagers left him in peace since he was a strange one. But something went wrong and one of the experiments went berserk and attacked the village. That scientist fled the place when the villagers grew wise of his experiments and raided the building with pitchforks and torches. He couldn't remember what happened next, it was told to him a long time ago.

Well, he wasn't going in there so Tsuna prepared himself to run all the way back to his house again when lightning suddenly flashed, lighting the dark skies and Tsuna jumped with a loud shriek of surprise. Out of the blue, rain poured down from the sky and Tsuna had no choice but to go inside the warehouse to get out of the heavy rain. He couldn't even see, so there was a good chance that he would trip on the way to his home and a cold the day tomorrow.

He entered the dilapidated building warily, jumping at the slightest noises and creaks. It was pitch dark in there and Tsuna regretted his choice of coming inside. Nevertheless, he pushed through his decision when a loud thunderclap erupted from outside. Well, he wouldn't want to get caught in the middle of a storm now, would he?

Another flash of lighting and Tsuna momentarily saw the insides of the building. There wasn't anything much inside, only a bunch of white sheets covering something big in the back and a few upturned tables and chairs. Various objects like screws and wrenches were littered on the floor and shattered pieces of glass. The villagers from long time ago must have ransacked the whole building for anything dangerous and burning them. It was a surprise that they didn't burn down the whole building.

He made his way towards the once white sheets over the back, rubbing his arms to make himself warm on the way. It was starting to get really cold and shivers ran up and down his whole body. He was still deciding whether it was because of the cold or fear. Maybe both.

Tsuna walked blindly in the dark, feeling his way around. He didn't even realize that the sheets were already by his feet and he got caught up in them. Being the Dame-Tsuna he was, he tried to disentangle himself only to fall to the ground and taking the sheets with him. The heavy cloth covered his whole body entirely. Panic and adrenaline taking control of his body, he ripped the material away from him.

Another flash of lighting and Tsuna screamed.

That person is _humongous_.

He stumbled away from the… thing in front of him. From its appearance, it could pass of as human. Except for its huge size which was almost ten feet. And the large screw, driven to the side of its head, and the stitches over the forehead and the shock of silvery white hair - a hair color common for monsters.

Tsuna screamed again. More out of fear this time. He stumbled back with his arms flailing wildly to keep his balance. When he fell, his arm caught on something. It twisted painfully when that something moved. He could only watch in mixed shock and terror as the strange machine blared to life, lights blinking from various buttons. A sound that could only be machines being turned on after years of disuse could be heard over the noise of the storm from outside. It was almost deafening, and Tsuna closed his ears as he flinched away.

The huge thing suddenly twitched, the chains that held him to the wall clanked against each other and Tsuna watched with eyes wide as saucers as it snapped in one movement of the huge wrists. The thick, metal straps that encircled his body for restraint broke easily like twigs under one's foot. The monster's bandaged fists shot up, easily destroying the walls of the building and leaving large cracks on the floor where it stomped its feet, the head snapped up in attention to look at him and bellowed.

"KYOKUGEEEEEN!"

Tsuna passed out.

...

"Really Tsu-kun, you should be more careful the next time," his mom, Nana, reprimanded lightly as he put some disinfectant on Tsuna's wounds. After worrying over her child for a few hours, Tsuna finally arrived home soaking wet and with some few injuries and more bruises. Tsuna said that he tripped and Nana believed that because her Tsu-kun was born clumsy. She only wished that he would grow out of it eventually.

What she didn't know was that Tsuna got pinned down by a large automaton after he passed out. And that it took him forever to get out of the accursed building.

He could still feel the weight pressing down on him.

It was a lucky break that the large monster ran out of power before he went berserk on the whole village.

Still, Tsuna knew he would have nightmares from now on.

It was the start of Tsuna's fear towards monsters.

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><p>It was a sunny day full of cheerful sunlight and the endless expanse of the great blue sky over rolls of green hills and towering mountains. Viewed from above, the panoramic view was more than enough to take one's breath away. Especially with the vibrant colors that splashed over the earth – the pink, purple, yellow, red, of the fields of flowers, the shimmering crystal blue water that snaked through the smooth carpet of green, the icy blue mountains with snowy white topping the sharp summits. Even the mysterious, dark shade of jade that was the forest added to the mystic grandeur of the scene.<p>

A small boy with gravity-defying hair smiled as his eyes took the serene view in front of him. From his perch on the gigantic tree standing proudly on one of the valley of hills surrounding his village, his eyes strayed in the very middle of the green. There, sticking out the green was a village made up of houses with red-tiled roofs and beige-colored paint. There are even chimneys jutting out the slanted roofs. The residential area that surrounded the outskirts of Namimori# was more like the typical small-village scene. However, things got more lavish when you get to the center of town.

The streets, instead of the usual dirt roads, was made up of cobblestones. The buildings also ranged from old-fashioned with high windows, lofty roofs, and elaborate arch, to modernized buildings with newer paint jobs and stronger foundations. One thing that was common in all buildings, however, are the complicated runes drawn on every surface. Some were more noticeable than others while some were faded to the point of beyond recognition. This was to protect the village from sudden monster attacks, even though the valley borders were already taken care of by mages by putting a spell that also acted as a barrier for monsters. He thanked whatever deity out there for small mercies.

"Hey! Dame-Tsuna!" a loud and obnoxious voice shouted from below, nearly causing the afore-mentioned boy to fall from the branch he was sitting on. The young brunet looked down to see two boys looking up at him. From the look on their faces and the sudden gut-clenching feeling he got, this won't end well. They would probably torment him again.

"What are you doing up in the tree Dame-Tsuna?" He neared and put a hand on one of the lower branches. Tsuna wondered fearfully if he was going to come up just to drag him down. But as if thinking more about it, the kid let go and motioned for his friend to come nearer. He whispered something in his ear and the two of them snickered.

"You could stay up there as long as you want, Dame-Tsuna. Being a tree-hugger suits you," the other one shouted up at him and the two ran off while laughing. Tsuna gave off a sigh of relief before looking around the field just below the hill the tree he was sitting on was located. He saw his classmates running around or lying on the green grass. Today was their field trip and the school decided to go at the valley fields just located outside the village. Not only was the place great for having picnics but it was full of plants that was not only beautiful but magic. There were the normal flowers like roses and lavender but others such as sunbursts^ that looked like miniature suns as they glowed and sparkled like golden fire under the sun.

He observed as the two kids who caught him lounging on the tree walk up to their homeroom teacher. They told him something and pointed towards the tree. He immediately hid behind the leafy branches to avoid being seen. The teacher looked furious as he stormed up the hill.

"Sawada! What are you doing up in that tree! Get down here you naughty boy! How many times do we have to say not to stray from the group?" the teacher nearly screamed at him. The man crossed his arms across his chest and tried his best to calm down. Note, tried. He looked really mad and Tsuna was starting to get scared.

He immediately crawled to the tree's thick trunk and started to lower himself carefully. Now that he was going down, he regretted his decision of going up in the first place. How was he able to climb this tree anyway? All he remembers was that he wanted to climb it. He _so _wanted to climb it. So he did with a resolution he hadn't had before.

And why did he go up in the first place? Oh, because of the two boys you were the same one who got him busted. Tsuna was running away from them since he didn't want to 'play' with them today. He was still sore from yesterday's beating. With reasons beyond Tsuna, the kids didn't like him that much. He suspected that maybe it was because he was such a klutz, or maybe because he was generally useless. Anyways, every kid avoided him like the plague or teased him like there was no tomorrow. More often than not, those teasing got out of the line, and ended up to bullying. Very violent bullying. Since the age of six, Tsuna is an expert in the makings when it comes to hiding injuries from everyone. Right now, he was trying to learn first-aid without his mama noticing with his constant questions and the sudden decrease of bandages from their first-aid kit.

As Tsuna thought of this, his foot suddenly slipped and he almost fell to the ground if not for his firm grip on the branch. He was now hanging by one hand and the teacher was starting to panic as he called for help and the two boys were trying hard not to laugh at his predicament. The boy merely gritted his teeth as he held tighter for dear life.

It didn't take long for the adults to get him down, and for the teacher to immediately launch into his long-winded reprimanding of him. He was utterly and completely humiliated in front of the whole school, again. For the nth time this week. And as Tsuna was loath to admit it, he was getting used to it. He was old enough to know that getting used to this kind of things at the age of six wasn't good, after all.

Like the shy and timid person he was, Tsuna took the whole thing in silence while flushing red due to embarrassment. He didn't look up from his shoes even as the teacher ended his tirade and lead him back to the group of students that were now being informed to the different kinds of fauna found near the village.

One of the girls noticed his hunched form and furrowed eyebrows. It was Kyoko, one of the nice girls in his class, no, the whole daycare. She took in his appearance before sending him her bright smile which she was famous for. Tsuna couldn't doubt that she looked really cute.

"Are you okay? Sa-sa…" she trailed off here, her face scrunched up as if deep in thought. She then brightened again as she spoke his name. "Sawada-san," she ended happily.

Though he should be put out because his own classmate didn't know his name, Tsuna was happy that after – days? Weeks? Months? He honestly didn't know – a long time, someone was speaking to him with only kindness in their voice. Now this was a true angel. Tsuna looked down shyly and fiddled with his thumbs. "Yes, Sasagawa-chan," he replied quietly.

The girl merely gave him another smile before motioning for him to come closer. "Do you know what this flower is called?" she asked as she pointed to a bell-shaped flower that rang like bell-chimes every time the wind blew. Tsuna thanked the gods that his mother liked flowers and plants so much that she ingrained every name in his memory. At least he won't humiliate himself in front of Sasagawa-chan.

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><p>Ever since that day, Tsuna always liked to go up the hills. He didn't know why, but the view just calmed him down. And maybe because it was the place where he first had a friend. By now, he and Kyoko were friends and he was also well acquainted with Kurokawa Hana, Kyoko's best friend. Life was starting to look good a bit.<p>

Or maybe because he enjoyed the quiet isolation, where no one was there to beat him up and the warm feeling he always had whenever he watched the sky was close to the feeling his mom and two friends gave off when near him. Nevertheless, this was his special spot, a place only he goes too.

He would often go here during the weekends and after school during weekdays. His mom just gave a warning for him not to stray off since she also go home from work six in the evening. Nana would want her son to spend time outside rather than leave him alone in their house. And since it was still early, maybe he'll lie down and have some rest. He closed his eyes.

"Hey, the prince wants to ask you something," someone said and Tsuna's wide brown eyes immediately snapped open. There, standing above him was... someone. He was probably just a few years older than him, maybe around ten. He had blond hair with longs bangs that covered his eyes so that he couldn't see them. The boy had a big grin plastered over his face. There was also a tiara hanging off to the side, almost falling. What caught Tsuna's attention, however, were the ears sticking out of the person's head. Then that means this person... isn't human at all!

"HIIIEEEE!" Tsuna shrieked as he scrambled away as fast as he could. But the person, monster, thing, whatever, was faster and grabbed hold of his shirt's collar from the back and lifted him up from the ground easily. The little brunet flailed and twisted but to no avail, the other... person's hold on him was too strong.

The blond shook him like a rag doll and Tsuna felt the world spin. When the movement stopped, Tsuna was already too far in shock and fear to give any kind of response. The blond looked at him closely and sniffed him gingerly. "Hey, why the sudden scream?" he asked obliviously. It took another round of shaking to get Tsuna to answer.

"T-t-t-t-t-th-tha-that," he stuttered faintly as he pointed at the red, fox-like ears on top of the blond head. It stood out like a sore thumb. The person looked at him with a frown and Tsuna deduced that the person was surprised. He couldn't see top half of his face so he had to make good guesses. The blond lifted one of his hands to feel his ears and Tsuna was surprised to see that the hand went through them like it was an illusion or something. The young boy's mouth dropped open in surprise. Noticing this, the blond put him down, resulting to Tsuna toppling down in surprise.

"O-ow," Tsuna muttered under his breath as he rubbed the back of his head. The other person squatted down so that they were eye-level. "Hey, little boy. You could see the prince's ears?" the boy asked with a toothy grin. Tsuna merely nodded, almost dumbly. The person inhaled deeply and donned a thoughtful frown on his face. Tsuna tilted his head to the side, maybe he should take this opportunity to run away. He didn't want to be eaten by a monster! He learned that monsters were scary and liked to trick people so that they could eat them! Wait, how could the person enter the valley borders in the first place? Before Tsuna could move or ask though, the monster disguised as a human turned to him.

"You're different," he said as he pinched his cheeks and drew his face closer for inspection. Tsuna literally froze, not even breathing as he smelled the monster's strange fragrance. Funny. The person smelled nice. He couldn't describe it, just that it was a nice smell. Sweet with a bit metallic scent in it. He wondered what it was. "How could you see when I'm on my other form? No one had seen through it before. I could even pass through your pathetic borders."

Tsuna didn't understand what the person was saying but kept himself from asking questions. Suddenly, the person sent him another grin but this one looked more relieved. "Would you show me the way to Demon Valley," the person said.

"Eh? But couldn't you, like, smell the way there? Monsters have excellent senses right?" Tsuna blurted out without thinking and promptly slapped both hands to his mouth in horror. Now the person would kill him! He didn't mean to say that. To his relief, the person didn't react violently.

"The scent of the flowers in your village is overwhelming. It's the only thing I could smell for miles around," he stated as he wrinkled his nose disdainfully. Tsuna stared. "I won't go into the village since it reeks of humans, but you have a different smell," he said, taking another whiff. Tsuna was starting to think that was creepy so he edged away a bit. The action didn't go unnoticed and a hand grabbed his arm.

"Hie! Please let go of me!" Tsuna cried out fearfully, brown orbs looking at the blond earnestly. The blond gave him another shake in return. "The way to Demon Valley then."

Tsuna's face scrunched up in thought. Where was the Demon Valley again? He learned that at school! "Um... over there, I think," Tsuna pointed at the general direction with a shaky hand. The blond nodded and let him go.

"The prince owes you his thanks! For that, I'll give you this little gift, ushishi," the 'prince' said as he bared his teeth in a feral manner and Tsuna saw those teeth elongate into sharp fangs, poised as if he was about to bite him. Tsuna's scream was probably heard all over the valley.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Tsuna shouted as he ran away from the deranged demon fox. The blond merely retracted his fangs and grinned as he threw something at the boy. The projectile hit the back of his head and the force sent him falling down, the momentum causing him to roll down the hill. He landed painfully in a tangled mess and the object thrown at him sitting on his chest innocently. It was a box. "Make good use of it! And don't throw it away, peasant." the demon fox said as he finished his laughing fit from his small prank and ran ahead, leaving Tsuna still writhing in pain.

_"I hate monsters," _Tsuna thought as he went on his way home, the box tucked safely under his arm. He wondered if it was the right decision to take the gift. He looked at it and remembered the monster's parting words. He shivered and simply resolved to hide it and never bother with it again.

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><p>*apparently, the monster stories are more popular than fairy tales. Tsuna is probably the only kid who still listens to fairy tales no matter how 'girly' they were.<p>

#I know it was called Vongola Village in canon but I like to call it Namimori Village here.

^a figment of my imagination. I don't know where my brain got the idea from XD

A/N: As you could all see, the first chapter is mostly about Tsuna's childhood. Well, I just wanted to write it. Haha. For the first part, Tsuna is six. Same age when he met his first monster. Tsuna is eight later on. Tsuna was ten when he met his second. As for the most part of the series, Tsuna will be sixteen.

I hope to see you all in the next chapter! Suggestions for scenes are also welcome. You know, anything you like, I'll spend three more chaps (maybe) on Tsuna's childhood. I like to make this story somehow light-hearted, but as I told you, humor isn't my thing. I would also like to know how the first chapter went. Is it good? Bad? Dull? Boring? Awesome? Comments, constructive criticism, and anything that could help me grow as an author are more than welcome.

P.S. Tsuna liked to faint as a kid, didn't he?


	2. Chapter 2

Oh my gosh! Thank you guys for the overwhelming support for this fanfic of mine! Thank you for all the alerts, faves, and reviews! I didn't expect it to be so well-received. Thank you, thank you so much! You've made this authoress happy for days! -insert the widest smile here- You guys are seriously awesome! Keep the reviews coming guys!

**AzureKurashin:** Thanks! If there is one thing I'm very meticulous for, it would be how I will describe my scenes. I'm trying this writing style and have been practicing for a while. And for Bel having fox ears, let's say I have had the image in my head for quite some time now. I'm happy that you like it! Oh and is this update quick enough?

**DiveToWorld:** I hope I could keep your interest! And thank you for reviewing this story! I hope to see more of you!

**OrangeSkye2772: **I know right? I haven't seen much fics about Monster Tamer Tsuna. Very few. There's so much to write for here, so much. And I always wanted to write something very much like Hibarin. I want to get him to talk as much as I can, since Hibari doesn't do much. It's a shame since he's got the voice many fangirls would die for.

**Final Syai Lunar Generation:** Haha. Tsuna's a real wimp but he's really cute at every thing he does (even if they are epic fails). And funny, I was actually going to make Bel bite Tsuna, not kiss. But it works too (haha). I was also seriously considering writing Bel as a cavity imp who forgot to cut his bangs (blame Fran and his freaking mouth for that) but I like Fox!Bel better. I'll do my best in writing this fic! I'm gonna do it with my dying will! XD

**Misaki19:** I'm so happy you like this story! And as for Tsuna meeting Hibari, let's say it's not very far away. But for the cheesy goodness, it won't be a while. I think I'm going to follow the canon MTT's timeline. So if you watched it, I'm sure you know what's going to happen next! *wink*

**MoonlitBlues:** I hope this update is soon enough?

Yeah... cause I wanted to try this at least once. Haha. I always found reading review replies funny and endearing. Is it strange for me too? Anyways, I won't keep you long. Here's the second chapter!

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><p><strong>Monster Tamer Tsuna!<strong>

**CHAPTER TWO: That One Guy with the Wizard's Hat**

"Wake up, Tsu-kun," a voice rang out, waking him up from his dream. He grumbled something incoherent before feeling another round of shaking to wake him up. The teen with messy sienna locks opened one eye groggily and gazed up at his mother. She was smiling down gently at him. "Breakfast is ready, come over when you're dressed, okay?" she said as she exited his small room.

Kicking away the orange sheets away from him, Tsuna's mind wandered over to his latest dream. Well, he would have called it a dream except he remembered nothing about it except for a swirl of colors and jumbled voices either speaking too loud or too low for him to understand. All he could remember was that he had been having it for some time now. Maybe it was a nightmare, given that there were only dark colors in his dream. Or maybe it was something more, like a warning. He always got this gut-wrenching feel whenever he had this dream, and alarm bells going off inside him.

This dream was also changing Tsuna's biological clock. While he normally slept 10 in the evening, he now sleeps in earlier than that due to exhaustion. And he now wakes up in time for school, when he was normally running around late everyday without fail.

Shaking away the mildly disturbing thoughts and his overactive imagination, Tsuna trudged over to his small closet and dressed in his usual red long-sleeved shirt and blue jumper. He also tried taming his hair and only succeeded a bit, it didn't stick up in every direction possible, only a bit. Once he was able to make his hair more like an organized mess, and prepare himself for another day of school, he went out his room and walked the short hallway to where the kitchen was.

Their house was small, just like any other house in the village consisting only of two bedrooms (his and his mom's), one bathroom, and a space that served as their kitchen, dining room, and living room. But they do have a large garden space, his mom loved plants to death, after cooking, and took care of lots of plants outside their house.

"Good morning mom," the sixteen year old greeted as he sat down. He immediately gobbled up the tall stack of pancakes in front of him. This was one of the upsides of waking up early, he could eat without worrying if he was going to be late. His mom hummed and waltzed around in the background as she tidied up the kitchen, making sure everything was in place before leaving. It was already late.

"I'll be going ahead, Tsu-kun," his mom said as she picked up a big basket. Nana worked as a chef in the village's biggest inn called Namimori Inn. She was a great cook and people loved her food. The pay was modest, just enough to give them their daily necessities. It was also near the center of town so it was quite a walk away from their house so his mom had to wake up early to be there in time. This was also one of the reasons Tsuna used to be late in school because his mom was not there to wake him up when he falls asleep again.

"Have a safe trip mom!" Tsuna said as he drank his orange juice and finished up. He locked the front door as he headed out minutes later.

"Are you the one called Dame-Tsuna? The boy who always gets beaten up by the other village kids? The kid with no social standing, no academic achievements, and no physical assets backing him up? A loner and socially awkward to boot?"

Tsuna immediately spun towards the source of the voice, both angry and alarmed. Angry because of the insults hurled at him (no matter how true they were) and alarmed because he didn't recognize that voice. It was high-pitched and squeaky, nothing like he has heard before.

"Over here, Dame," the voice said again and accompanied by a sharp pain at the back of his head. Tsuna yelped as he fell down the ground.

"What the heck!" he whined as he rubbed the sore spot, wincing a little. He turned his wide, slightly watery eyes to the little... baby floating a few inches above the ground.

Wait, what?

"Gaah! It's a floating baby!" Tsuna said incredulously as he pointed at the baby dressed in rich purple robes and a magician's hat. The outfit was spectacular, there were images of shining stars moving around the dark fabric, like a mini galaxy. There was even a silver star-shaped thing hanging off the hat's tip. There was also a yellow pacifier hanging around his neck. Against the dark fabric, the yellow glow seemed to be like the sun. But what really caught Tsuna's attention was the pair of black, beady eyes staring straight at his brown ones. They were darker than any galaxy out there. And this feel... he was sure that the baby floating in front of him was not what he seems.

The baby seemed to be annoyed at something because he immediately hit him again. "Don't point Dame-Tsuna, it's rude. And I'm not a baby."

Tsuna scrambled away as he nursed his sore stomach. _"Yeah, that's what the 12 inches tall person with a baby voice telling me."_

"Anyways, who are you and what do you want?" Tsuna asked as he gave the... person a second look. This time, he noticed that the person was actually floating using an old wooden staff he was sitting on. And that there seemed to be eyes staring at him from that hat. It seems that the hat have _eyes_.

...That's impossible, right?

"I am Elder Rebo. I came from Vongola Town and I have come to your village for inspection," the person named Rebo explained before motioning for Tsuna to follow him. He stood up and walked with the weird person, though he was a few feet behind so that he won't get caught in whatever troubles he was brewing up. "I have come here to enlist your help in a matter that requires immediate action."

The brunet snapped up in attention. "Eh? Me? Are you sure Mister Rebo?" he asked bemusedly. As loath as he was to admit it, he _is _useless. He couldn't get one math problem right, he couldn't tame a snufflepuff*, he didn't have enough social skills to make a friend. The only thing he could do is running. And that means running _away _from trouble, not counting if he managed to trip over nothing. Oh, and attracting trouble. He shouldn't forget about that.

Elder Rebo looked at him as if he heard every sentiment and nodded gravely. "If that's the case, then I should've started with reconnaissance. I was hoping that you weren't _that _hopeless given your lineage, but..."

Tsuna tried to hear the rest of the sentence but Elder Rebo just continued to float away, taking the rest of the sentence with him. The brunet walked faster as he caught up to him and decided to ask, "What do you mean?"

He ignored Tsuna's question as he continued to speak. "Get moving Dame-Tsuna, I'll tell you everything later," was his reply as he gave another shove to make the teen walk faster. Tsuna yelped and gave a glare, which looked more like a pout for Elder Rebo, before running away when he realized that he would be late for school.

Rebo watched as the teen stumble along the streets before sighing. He wondered how long he would have to be here before returning to Vongola Town.

"Ow!"

...It would be a very long time.

* * *

><p>"Settle down, class. Today, we would be learning about Monster Tamers," the teacher announced as he wrote the word on the board in bold letters. This immediately perked up everyone's interest, even Tsuna who was usually daydreaming in his Monster 101 class. Excited murmurs immediately erupted around the whole class before the teacher cleared his throat.<p>

"I know you are all excited but please be quiet. In your previous years, you only studied about monsters, their capabilities, appearances, and so on. For this year, you are going to learn about the group of humans that protects us.

The first monster tamers appeared just after the monsters did. There are two types of tamers. One type are the Mages, who use spells and magic to fight, contain, or tame monsters. The most famous one could be the Mage Aria, who was also the first Arcobaleno Princess and a Diviner, though she died years ago. The second type are the Hunters who use more brutal ways of taming and mostly rely on weapons instead of magic. An example could be the Hunter Xanxus, Tamer of the most dangerous group of monsters in existence called Varia.

The most famous and well-known Monster Tamer would be Giotto Vongola. Does the name ring any bells?" the teacher paused in his lecture, eyeing his class. Some had looks of vague recognition while some looked at him with a somehow dumb look. Tsuna had a surprised look on his face. _"Vongola? Like Vonogla Town?" _he wondered as his thoughts went back to the strange person, Rebo.

Dwelling more on his thoughts, the teacher's voice faded into the background. The name seemed familiar to him. It was like he had heard it from somewhere. He just couldn't remember clearly.

Tsuna yawned. While the others were hanging onto the teacher's every word, his eyes were starting to droop. It was not that the lesson wasn't interesting, it was just that he knew of this from long ago. When he was still a kid, and his 'father' was still hanging around, he used to tell all kinds of things to Tsuna. About monsters and tamers alike. Iemitsu would tell monster stories for bedtime stories and he would just ignore it at best, instead focusing on his father's smile, because while the stories caused him nightmares, his father's smile comforted him. Maybe Iemitsu mentioned Giotto Vongola once, he was just not concentrating on him that time.

And that was long ago, before he left for good.

Tsuna scowled as he recalled those memories, though he had to admit that knowing something before his classmates was kind of sweet, memories of his father did nothing to improve his mood. He didn't really know anything about Iemitsu except that he was tall and muscular and had the biggest and most foolish smile always plastered on his face. He slept a lot, drank a lot of alcohol too (he has high tolerance so they always have pretty decent conversation, when you ignore his idiotic tendencies), and loved his mom's cooking so much he didn't waste any of it. His knowledge of his own_ father _was trivial and sketchy at best. Heck, he was even more comfortable calling him _Iemitsu_ rather than _dad_.

"Sawada! Are you even listening?" the teacher said as he brought down the book he was holding onto Tsuna's head. Said student immediately flushed red in embarrassment as the class laughed. He looked up at the teacher who was giving him a reproving frown. Fortunately the lunch bell rang at that exact moment much to Tsuna's relief and everybody else's disappointment.

"I'll let you go this one time, Sawada. But if I ever catch you daydreaming in my class again, you'll be sorry."

"Hai!" Tsuna replied immediately as he made a grab for his lunch. He didn't want to be left alone in the classroom. Lunch was a popular time to get bullied, and empty classrooms are hot spots to get cornered. He caught sight of his own personal monsters leering at him.

"Wait Tsuna-kun! Let's have lunch together!" somebody said just as Tsuna was about to run for it. Every student turned to see a petite girl with peculiar orange-y hair, bright hazel eyes, and a sweet smile placed on her delicately-featured face. It was Sasagawa Kyoko. Tsuna's face immediately exploded in a vibrant red color as he realized that smile was directed at him.

"A-are you s-sure, Kyoko-chan?" Tsuna stuttered as he looked at his feet like they were the most interesting things in the world. Kyoko laughed sweetly and Tsuna couldn't resist the smile on his face, despite the violent shivers down his spine as he felt his classmates' dirty looks aimed at him. He didn't need to be a psychic to know what they were thinking. _"Why is Kyoko-chan having lunch with this wimpy kid?"_

"Hana-chan has to do something at this time and since Tsuna-kun is alone too, I decided that we could have lunch together! It's been a while after all," Kyoko said excitedly as she lead them out the classroom, still oblivious of the looks they were getting. Tsuna's face further reddened when he noticed the contact their hands were making right now.

"W-where did Hana-san go?" Tsuna asked with genuine curiosity. Sure, he was comfortable with Kyoko-chan at best, when he disregarded the fact that he always blushed like an idiot whenever she was around (he didn't like Kyoko-chan, okay!), and he only considered Kurokawa Hana, Kyoko's bestfriend, as an acquaintance but that didn't stop him from worrying about her.

Kyoko hummed. "Nothing to worry about. She said that she was going to take care of some 'flirting monkeys' or something. Though I couldn't understand what she meant," she answered. They reached the grassy area that was just outside their school building by now. There were many students out here since it was a popular place to eat but Tsuna didn't come here at all. He preferred eating in more secluded places like the school roof and under trees, plaes he knew people won't go. So it was no surprise at all when Tsuna started sweating and looking around anxiously at the crowds of people eating and staring at them surreptitiously.

"It's been a while since we had lunch together, hasn't it Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko said as a start of a conversation. It has been years, but Tsuna didn't mention that. Instead, he merely nodded.

The truth was Tsuna just goes out the classroom before anyone else could, and was gone before anyone could notice. Kyoko wanted to ask him earlier but couldn't find the right chance. Their conversations were always cut short too, since Tsuna immediately makes up excuses to go.

For Tsuna, it was not that he didn't want to be with Kyoko-chan, but he learned the hard way that being friendly with Kyoko was one of the reasons the bullies hated him, and the more they hated him, the harder they hit. Even Tsuna's high pain tolerance over the years was not enough to make the pain go away for a few days, and the injuries lasted for weeks. Why agitate them further?

"You should have lunch with us more often, and I could tell that even Hana wants you to come with us," Kyoko continued on just to avoid the awkward silence. She then turned towards Tsuna's lunch box and smiled widely. "Your lunch looks delicious, Tsuna-kun!"

The brunet didn't think twice about it. "You could have some if you want Kyoko-chan," Tsuna offered as he held out his lunch. Kyoko gave him a look that said _"Really?" _and Tsuna just smiled at her shyly. Kyoko took some and ate them. "They're wonderful!" Tsuna's smile became wider.

"Hey! Kyoko!" a tall girl with long, wavy dark hair called over to them. It was Kurokawa Hana making her way over them with a small, satisfied smirk on her face.

"Hana-chan! It's good that you were able to catch up!" Kyoko said as she moved to give space for her friend. And to Tsuna's embarrassment and happiness, she moved closer to him.

She sat on the grass then turned to look at the brunet, she gave him a smile. "Oh, Sawada is here, huh? Do you know that you've been giving Kyoko some trouble just to ask you for lunch?" she said slyly. The two immediately blushed. "Hana!" Kyoko protested as she gave a discrete look to Tsuna, who had his eyes hidden beneath his bangs, but his red cheeks very visible. Hana laughed.

"I-I-I've b-b-been... b-busy Kurokawa-san," Tsuna tried to explain but the girl didn't buy it. This boy was so easy to read it was effortless.

"A-anyways, where have you been Hana-chan?" Kyoko asked to change topics. Hana smirked inwardly, wondering if her bestfriend was psychic over this boy or something to know that he was uncomfortable in their conversation. Usually, Kyoko didn't notice such things.

"Oh, just places," she answered dismissively. Kyoko gave her a confused look before turning her attention to her lunch.

"So Sawada," Hana started, causing the boy to choke lightly on his onigiri, "What have you been doing this past weeks?" she asked. She wasn't oblivious to the small boy being bullying like Kyoko was, and she noticed that the boy was starting to get distant from the girl for a few years now. It was just not blatantly obvious like these past few months. Nevertheless, she was slightly curious (she wasn't sure if she was worried, yet) about to his sudden attitude change. He used to be more lively back in their childhood days. Looks like the insults had taken their toll.

She knew it wasn't her imagination when Tsuna couldn't seem to meet her sharp, calculative eyes. "Nothing much. S-schoolwork. Yeah... I've b-been catching up to schoolwork. Haha," he said with a forced smile. Hana felt a vein pop. "Don't lie to me, your grades haven't been improving."

They watched as the boy deflate. Kyoko gave her a look before worrying over the brunet. Hana's eyes, on the other hand, noticed someone approaching their direction. Trouble.

"Hello Kyoko-chan! Why don't we have lunch together, just the two of us?" a loud and obnoxious voice said much to Hana's irritation. The glare she shot at him went unnoticed.

"Oh, good afternoon Mochida-senpai," Kyoko greeted sweetly. "I'm sorry but I'm having lunch with my friends right now."

The tall upperclassman raked his eyes over the trio. His eyes bulged at the sight of a cowering teen beside Kyoko and guffawed. "Dame-Tsuna? You're having lunch with that loser?" he said and this time, he couldn't stop laughing.

Hana, noticing Kyoko's distress and Tsuna's defeated look, immediately stepped in. "Just go away, stupid monkey," she said harshly, not bothering to hide her rude tone. She didn't like this Mochida monkey in the first place. He was a womanizer, a school bully, and extremely arrogant. She would rather die first than having Kyoko be this jerk's girlfriend. She heard rumors that the guy was dating somebody already, and after asking around earlier (this was the reason she was late) she had learned that it was indeed true. She even talked to the unlucky girl. And for him to make a move on Kyoko now was unforgiveable.

Mochida turned towards her, trying hard not to sneer at his new target's bestfriend. It wouldn't do him good so instead, he gave a smile. "Sure, sure. I'll be going now. But I'll see you guys later," he said as he gave a charming smile towards Kyoko and a warning one to Tsuna. He didn't consider Tsuna as competition but he would have to teach the wimp some manners later. He wouldn't want him to taint his (future) possession, wouldn't he now?

Tsuna watched as Mochida walked away, all the while thinking only one thing.

_"I'm so screwed."_

* * *

><p>Tsuna arrived panting hard, and later lying in front of his doorstep in exhaustion.<p>

He just escaped his tormentors in the nick of time. He knew it was a good decision to accept Kyoko's invitation to go home together, the bullies didn't dare do anything bad in front of Namimori Village's number one idol, Kyoko, and one of the Village's most intimidating people, Hana. But when they separated ways, Mochida's cronies made themselves known.

Ah, at least he got away with just a few bruises.

Better hide them away before anyone (mainly his mom) notices.

"You really are pathetic, arent'cha?" the squeaky voice that could only belong to Rebo said. He poked one of the purple blotches on his pale skin rather hard, making Tsuna cry out.

"Ow ow ow ow! What was that for?" Tsuna shrieked as he hid his arms behind his back. But he knew it was too late, he had already seen his injuries.

"You don't need to hide anything from me, I was watching you the whole time. You like that Kyoko girl don't you?" Seeing Tsuna's face turn red and shaking his head furiously in denial, he continued, "Yeah, you do."

Tsuna looked around, not wanting to meet Rebo's scrutinizing and mysterious eyes, and tried to change their topic. "S-s-so! Why are you here again?"

Rebo didn't reply, instead inviting himself inside Tsuna's home. The brunet didn't protest at the weird baby's rudeness knowing that he won't listen anyway. He got up from his position on the doorstep and followed him inside.

"Did you know of the recent vampire attacks from the neighboring villages?" Rebo asked as he made himself comfortable on one of the hard, wooden chairs. Tsuna felt a shiver run down his spine, he didn't like all monsters and vampires took the top spot. And hearing the news didn't bode well. He had the feeling he's going to be dragged into this mess.

"N-no," Tsuna replied as he sat down in front of his… guest.

"The vampire, also called blood-sucking Hibarin, is a cruel monster who attacks peaceful villages and utterly defeats every one hero or tamer who have come to slay him, and draining them of their blood. It will only be a matter of time before the vampire would reach Namimori. From what the Vongola has learned, the vampire is in search of something."

Tsuna's ears, after blocking it of any info about the monster, perked up. "V-vongola?" That name has been popping up all day. It didn't help that gut-wrenching feel he was having, the sensation he always felt when trouble was brewing.

"The Vongola is an organization made up of monster tamers. The founder is Giotto Vongola, and I know I don't need to explain more than that," he gazed at Tsuna, knowing the lesson they had that morning in class, "The town I came from is also named after that person. That's how great Giotto Vongola is."

Tsuna tried his best not to let out his trademark scream. The suspense was killing him. "Well? What does all of those have to do with me?" he asked. He really didn't want to know, but he just have to ask.

"It is your duty to defeat the monster. You have the blood of powerful monster tamers running through you. Not to mention, you are one of Giotto Vongola's descendant. "

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

"WHAT?"

Elder Rebo gave took out his staff and whacked Tsuna's head with it. "Don't scream, it's unbecoming for a monster tamer."

"But I don't want to be a monster tamer! I don't want do anything concerning monsters! Period. "

Rebo gave him a sharp look. "It is your duty, Dame-Tsuna. Even your dad would agree."

This time, it was Tsuna to give Rebo a sharp look. The expression he was wearing was so uncharacteristic of him. From his short time of observation, he had grown accustomed to seeing the pathetic boy's pathetic expressions. His pouting face, his whiny face, his scared face, his flustered face, even his smiling face was pathetic. It seemed like there were flowers blooming in the background whenever he did. It was not what he expected for someone with great potential as a monster tamer. But _this _expression, with narrowed amber colored eyes and a rather calm look, this is what a monster tamer should be like. Rebo smirked.

"Yes, your father. Iemitsu has been working for Vongola for years now. Didn't he tell you?"

He couldn't get a clear view of Tsuna's face but he could feel the aura the boy was emitting. It was slightly mad and... dangerous. Rebo gave another hidden smirk. If this was how Tsuna is when all riled up, then he's going to have a new hobby. Rather fortunate for him because it would add up to his future entertainments in this peaceful (and slightly boring) village.

"Hmm. Is that so. Then it looks like you're going to learn _a lot _from me."

"...What do you mean?"

This time, Rebo openly showed his smirk, and Tsuna whole-heartedly thought that such an expression was unsettling to see in a baby's face.

"Because I'm going to train you to become a monster tamer," Rebo paused, relishing the expression his new student was showing to him right now. It was fear. "And help you defeat Blood-sucking Hibarin. I want you to know that I'm not the nicest tutor around." Insert a loud thud and a whack and an innocent smile from Rebo, who was holding his staff.

"HIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

* * *

><p>*It's basically a domesticated monster. It's a popular pet in my head-canon. They are small creatures with puffy furs of different colors. Only their big and wide eyes could be seen.<p>

A/N: And here's chapter two of Monster Tamer Tsuna! There's not much going on here but some slight 27K and Elder Rebo finally appearing. I don't like 27K, not at all (they're too alike, I can't see them being all lovey-dovey), but you'll see soon why I inserted this here in this fic. And no... I won't spill.

How was it? Was it good? Bad? Boring? Awesome? I would like to hear from all of you all! Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism are all welcome. And point out if I have mistakes alright? PLEASE REVIEW! Reading them makes me happy, like they're an awesome fanfic in their own right. They spur me to write faster! REVIEW!


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